A newly discovered chapter in the Book of Genesis has provided the answer to ‘Where do pets come from?’

Adam said, ‘Lord, when I was in the garden, you walked with me every day. Now I do not see you any more. I am lonesome here and it is difficult for me to remember how much you love me.’And God said ‘No problem. I will create a companion for you that will be with you forever and who will be a reflection of my love for you so that you will love me even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourself.’

And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam. And it was a good animal. And God was pleased. And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and it wagged its tail.

And Adam said, ‘Lord, I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal.’

And God said, ‘No problem. Because I have created this new animal to be a reflection of my love for you his name will be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him Dog.’

And Dog lived with Adam and was a companion to him and loved him. And Adam was comforted. And God was pleased. And Dog was content and wagged his tail.

After a while, it came to pass that Adam’s guardian angel came to the Lord and said, ‘Lord, Adam has become filled with pride. He struts and preens like a peacock and he believes he is worthy of adoration. Dog has indeed taught him that he is loved, but perhaps too well.’

And the Lord said, ‘No problem. I will create for him a companion who will be with him forever and who will see him as he is. The companion will remind him of his limitations, so he will know that he is not always worthy of adoration.’

And God created Cat to be a companion to Adam. And Cat would not obey Adam. And when Adam gazed into Cat’s eyes, he was reminded that he was not the Supreme Being. And Adam learned humility.

And God was pleased. And Adam was greatly improved. And Dog was happy.

And Cat didn’t care one way or the other.

* This joke is courtesy of beliefnet.com’s Religious Joke of the Day. I just loved it so much, I had to share.

Our beliefs are the motivating factor behind our actions. We decide to take particular actions because we believe they will produce particular results. In many ways, our beliefs make us who we are. They determined which jobs we applied for and what relationships to pursue. A belief tree can help us to map out all our beliefs about life. The highest level of boxes are for the main roles we play in life. Each box below each role is for the rules or expectations that we’ve learned to associate with the role. Notice how each role has a set of rules and expectations. Some of the rules may conflict with each other, others may conflict with our goals and dreams. When taken as law, roles can restrict our personal growth.

When you do this exercise, try not to think too hard or too long when thoughts come to mind. Not everything you believe now may have anything to do with what you write down. Just as for some the role of “wife” may come with a rule you write as “must cook,” even though you don’t know how to boil water or if you hate to cook. You may have been raised to see or believe that wives must cook, so you internalized it. There is no right or wrong answer. This exercise will just help you to see yourself in a clearer light. Besides, you can’t fix what’s broken if you don’t know where to start.

The most important part of this exercise is to be honest with yourself and write down those first things that pop into your mind concerning each role. Your answers may surprise you and that might be a good thing. And the main objective to take away with you at the end of the exercise is to realize we must break out of limiting rules and roles. We can change the rules and we can learn to see ourselves in broader terms — as unique individuals, not as simply a sum total of roles and rules. And while you may play one certain role, that is not all you are.

We must bend and flow with each and every role we play.

As human beings, we’ll always have days when we feel like we aren’t living up to our expectations of ourselves. I have soooo many days like that.

We must take charge of our lives. To do that, we must begin by taking responsibility to examine the beliefs in our belief tree and see where they came from and whether or not we want to keep them. If you feel the need, redefine your rules and your expectations, but do that as the second part of the exercise. Be honest with yourself first.

Changing Your Actions, Not Your True Self

This book is not about changing yourself to conform to the outside world, nor how to become popular, how to “play the game,” or try to make others think you’re successful. Nope, this book is about getting yourself in touch with your own unique talents, skills, values, and attributes, then allowing what you already possess to guide you to success. Wow! I’m game! How ’bout you?

As we read this book, we need to try to let go and clear our minds (or at least try) of negative thoughts and ideas we might have concerning our past self-sabotage. Let go of the labels and the past mistakes. The past is back there. You can’t change it. Deal with now, the present. That’s all you have is now. Know that every belief is learned and in turn, can be unlearned. We can learn just about anything with practice and to stop sabotaging ourselves can definitely be learned with practice.

Task List and Action Plan

Before you go on to the next chapter, take time now to do these activities. They will help you get more out of the rest of the book.

Write your current concept of success. Where did you learn it from? Is there anything you’d like to change about it?

Write a list of people who you think are successful. What is it about them that makes them a success?

Write a list of people who are successful based on your expanded definition of success.

Write a list of qualities that define you.

Write a list of roles you play in life.

Choose the top four roles and place them in the top four boxes of the belief tree at the end of this chapter.

Complete the following sentence in relation to each role: “A _____ should . . .”

Place your top four answers in the boxes below each role.

Go over each rule and ask yourself, “Where did I learn this?”

Put a star next to the roles and beliefs that are productive and beneficial.

Put a check mark next to the roles and beliefs that may be creating tension or self-defeating behavior in your life.

Just wanted to get the word out if you haven’t read my Rear In Gear page.

I previously ordered the 7 day trial pack, then when that was almost gone, I ordered the 30 day pack, but those were both one time purchases. I did not sign up to be a monthly buyer but they charged me today for something from their company and shipped me something.

I have spoken with my representative as well as Customer Service with the company about crediting my account, returning the shipment, never charging me again, as well as sending me a return package so I can return my unused portion (since I became sick from using the stuff after 8-9 days) and receive credit.

I’ll let you know what happens. They don’t seem to be very organized over there. Just wanted to warn you. I don’t want you to get sick, nor lose your money when you didn’t want another shipment in the first place.

As we progress through life, we tack on various roles to who we think we are or who we think we should be, and perhaps what society thinks we should be. Sometimes we become so attached to our roles that we forget who we truly are, within: caring, compassionate, creative, unique. We learn from our peers and our family what is appropriate and in our desire to fit in and please others, we adapt our behavior. We’ve been taught from such an early age that by the time we’ve reached adulthood, we’ve become so used to “playing the game”, many of us don’t even know we’re playing it.

Have you known people who have gone to college to study law, even practiced law for years until one day, they finally woke up to realize how empty they were, quit their job, and now, they do something entirely different? I know a guy who did this.

And what about these stay-at-home moms who raise the kids, cook, take care of the family, wash the clothes and put their hobbies and interests on hold till the kids are grown?

Now, personally, my second biggest dream is to work from my home, while raising my daughter and spending as much time with her and my mother (who lives next door) as I can. My biggest dream came true when I became pregnant with and had Hallie. Spending quantity and quality time with my family is #1 in my book and if I could pay the bills and put food on the table while staying home and spending time with them, I wouldn’t need anything else. Now, I am sort of doing that, sort of not. Living off my savings until I (1) start earning a paycheck again or (2) run out of savings, is not exactly a plan. But, for now, that’s how we are living and I’m just thankful I have savings . . . for now.

Do you have a dream? Are you working toward fulfilling that dream? I truly believe with all of my being that if we have a dream in our heart, we live and eat and breathe that dream, and we cannot remove it from our heart and mind, God put it there for a reason. We are to push ourselves toward reaching our dream until it is ours. We are each here for a purpose and we don’t have something in our heart and mind for years for no reason. For now, I’m working on a way to work from home. I have everything else I want/need, for now.

So, who are you? Deep down? Do you keep yourself hidden? The desires of your heart/mind sheltered? Buried even? Or have you forgotten them altogether? Some may ask, “What if you don’t know what you want to do?” I believe that at some point in our lives, we knew what we wanted. We made ourselves forget, because it’s easier to deal with. We want to go with the flow. We want to be there for others. We want to be loved and to not disappoint. But, honestly, if we bury the deepest desires of our hearts, we can not only hurt ourselves, but hurt those we love, as well, as the pain will come out in different areas of our lives, inflicting pain on others with our words or actions, just from our resentment of pushing down our desires.

Do you want to be a painter? A musician? A karate kid? An athlete? A pilot? A chef? An author? A poet? Go back to school? Is there something you’ve been wanting to do, or try, but you haven’t let yourself do it? What’s the reason you haven’t tried? You’ll never know if you can do it unless you try. I believe the best books are yet to be written. You can be the best at whatever you choose to be.

We need to stop denying our true selves. Drinking too much, eating too much, occupying your mind and your time with enough busy work or worrisome thoughts is not going to make your true self go away. These actions will only self-sabotage. Have you asked yourself what would happen if you did ____________? If you followed your heart and tried _________________, would you fall apart?

You might finally find that one thing that makes you more of who you are than you ever believed possible. You might find happiness. Don’t you think you deserve happiness? Life is always going to bring you unwelcome events that will cause depression, disappointment, anger, helplessness and what have you. However, it will also bring you utter and complete bliss if you allow your life to. I have bliss, and I’m working toward some more bliss. I’m going for it. You don’t have to be laid off or quit your job to go after your heart’s desire. You only need to make (I said “MAKE”) the time toward what you want. If that means getting up a little early every day or stay up a little later, then that’s what you do to go after what you want. Think about it.

Don’t get so attached to roles that you forget who you truly are inside. Let go of the labels that restrict you. Live more with your heart’s guidance. Let it lead you to great things. What expectations are you trying to live up to? Who are you and what does that mean to you? Take time now to write a list of qualities that define you. Later, we’ll take a look at how the qualities and roles on that list might keep you stuck.

Go out there and make it a fabulous Friday! It’s Friday! How can it not be fabulous? Love you guys! *hug*

I just have something to say about all these prophecies and predictions by preachers and others who seem to think they have the inside scoop on when the end of the world is coming.

I know how fascinated we all are with dates. There is just something about wanting to predict our future, the end of the world and the return of Jesus. I want you to know the truth and help to open up your eyes as well as your minds.

Stop the blindness. Don’t be so misled that you have the need to follow others who say they know something. They don’t know anything. They want your money. They want you to follow them and believe in them. But I’m telling you, you will only be broke and disappointed in the end.

Where do you find the answers? I’ll tell you the truth, as much as I know, and I certainly don’t know it all, either, but I do know a few things. I know so many of you don’t believe in the Bible, don’t believe in Hell, don’t believe in Jesus or in God. I am here to tell you the truth. The Bible is truth. So is Hell, and Jesus and God.

Let me expand a little on the Bible. The Bible was originally Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. The Bible was translated many, many times and there are many missing pieces of the puzzle that make up the Bible. I’m not talking about the Dead Sea Scrolls, although I am not at all dismissing them. I’m mostly speaking about when language is translated over many times, much of the meaning of one translation is transmuted into something entirely different and in some languages, there is no such translation from one to another. With translation, there are many omissions and additions from the original texts. So much has been lost through translation.

However, you must remember these truths about the end of the world, #1:

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Matthew 24:36) NIV

#2: Don’t listen to people who claim to know when the end is coming, because they simply have no idea.

#3: God sent a few instructions for each of our lives. They are 10 rules for living. They are called the Ten Commandments. Learn what they are and try your very best to follow them. These are important and you will be judged at the end of your life on how well you followed these rules. Need the list? Here you go.

2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;

6 I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;

3 Do not have any other gods before me.

7 you shall have no other gods before me.

4You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.5You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me,6 but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

8You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.9You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and fourth generation of those who reject me,10 but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

7 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.

11 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.

8Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.9For six days you shall labour and do all your work.10But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns.11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it.

12Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you.13For six days you shall labour and do all your work.14But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, or your son or your daughter, or your male or female slave, or your ox or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or the resident alien in your towns, so that your male and female slave may rest as well as you.15 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day.

12 Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

16 Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

13 You shall not kill/murder.

17 You shall not kill/murder.

14 You shall not commit adultery.

18 Neither shall you commit adultery.

15 You shall not steal.

19 Neither shall you steal.

16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

20 Neither shall you bear false witness against your neighbor.

17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

21 Neither shall you covet your neighbor’s wife. Neither shall you desire your neighbor’s house, or field, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

In other words:

1. Believe in the only one true God and no other god.
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images. = The word graven means to cut or to shape. The Lord tells us not to make any images of gods so that we may worship them. Even an image of Christ should not be worshiped. The image may give us a point of focus but only in spirit may we give true worship.
3. Do not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. = Jesus taught that a person’s word should be reliable and one should not swear by God or his creation. The name should be used respectfully, with an awareness of the presence of God. It must not be abused by careless speech, false oaths, or words of hatred, reproach or defiance toward God, or used in magic.
4. Remember the sabbath to keep it holy. = We work six days and rest on the seventh. You rest and pray and worship on the seventh day. This means you do not work on that day, and you do not cause others to work on your behalf. It is not simply a day for doing your own pleasures, especially if you are going out, causing others to work for you, such as going to the movies or to a restaurant or to the mall. When you do this, you are causing others to work. (I fall short here A LOT and intend to do better.)
5. Honor thy father and thy mother. = Obey and respect and love your parents.
6. Do not kill.
7. Do not commit adultery.
8. Do not steal.
9. Do not bear false witness against your neighbor. = Do not make any false statement (lie) that degrades our neighbor’s (any person) reputation or dignity.

10. Thou shalt not covet anything that is thy neighbors. = Do not desire for yourself what belongs to someone else and do not resent others for having what you don’t. (a)Admiring and (b)desiring to possess someone else’s property or relationship are two different things.

And #4: Read your Bible. Learn your Bible. And then listen to what God whispers to your heart. When you learn to listen, God will whisper the truth. I have heard some of His whispers. Do you want to know what He said – for each of us?

He loves you, no matter what you have done.

If you wish to be forgiven and improve your life from this point forward as best you can, he forgives you and he will help you if you put your faith and trust in him and take action to do better.

He has faith in you.

He wants your love; and for you to love his son, Jesus.

Know that Jesus sacrificed himself for you, because he loved you and he still does. He wanted to give all of you the chance to live forever in Heaven with him and with God, where you belong. He wants you to come home when your life on this planet has finished. He didn’t have to do what he did. He could have lied and lived and not suffered. He did it with purpose to save each person ever born, and we are each given the chance to be with him if we believe in him and what he did. He died to save us from our sins and we should believe in him and love him.

Help others as much as you can and try your best to be a positive influence. Share God’s blessings.

Hey, check out my Rear in Gear page (you can click it on my home page, along the bottom of the picture). I’ve updated it – down to 170.5, plus info on the supplement. Awesome! Finally found something that works, for a change. Wooohooo!

“You can learn to be loving and consistent. You can learn to appreciate yourself. Depriving yourself of happiness is a form of self-abuse and self-neglect. You may currently be doing to yourself what your parents unjustly did to you, but you are not powerless over change. You can learn positive steps to retrain yourself and break self-defeating habits.”

“Focusing on childhood experiences can be helpful when identifying deep-seated issues, however, these issues are sometimes used as an excuse to avoid change and rationalize self-sabotage. Each of us is responsible for breaking the cycle of abuse in our own lives. We do this by deciding not to abuse ourselves anymore.”

When asked to outline the self-talk preceding self-sabotage, Sheri’s workshop participants wrote things like: “Can’t you keep on track?” “I’m not smart enough. Why am I so stupid, dumb, and bad?” “You can’t do it. You’re never going to change. What makes you think it’s going to be different?” and “You’re kidding yourself. You’re a fool.” Sound familiar? Does to me.

In completing the sentence, “A self-defeating belief I hold on to about myself is . . . ,” participants wrote things like: “I’m intrinsically defective.” (my personal favorite:)“No one is interested in what I have to say. I’m not good enough to let other people know me” and “I don’t deserve a mate who is kind, generous, and loving in my life.”

“Some forms of self-abuse are blatant, such as compulsive overeating, self-inflicted violence, smoking, alcoholism, or other addictions.” I know several people who are addicted to people, bad characters. They cannot be alone and they always choose someone who they know will harm them, physically and/or emotionally, and they allow them to continue. They scrape the bottom of the barrel for these pieces of trash, because they believe they don’t deserve better. They think they are trash themselves. Perhaps this is you. Going into it, maybe you think “If I just love them enough, I can change them.” Let me tell you one truth that I am 100% sure of: You cannot change anyone else. The only power you have is over yourself and you can only change yourself. Just as no one else can change you, you cannot change them. Sure, you can make an impact on their lives but it is up to them to choose to change, or not.

Other forms of self-abuse are less obvious. Do you pamper yourself with shopping sprees or special foods? “It may only be when you find yourself overweight and in debt that you realize the consequences of your behavior. These extravagancies are sometimes self-abuse in disguise.”

Just as we have learned to believe we are “no good” and treat ourselves as such, we can also learn to believe that we are capable, competent, worthwhile people. “When this becomes our truth, the self-defeating behaviors will lessen.”

Take a moment and think about how many years you’ve engaged in self-defeating behavior. How many years have you drilled it into your head that you are dumb, stupid, lazy, etc.? How long have you talked yourself into believing you’ll never amount to anything? From this moment on, I want you to keep track of how many minutes, or hours or days you can tell yourself good, positive things. Tell me some of these. Here, I’ll help. “Because I am awesome, I can do anything I set my mind to doing.” “I accept myself. I am me and there’s only one of me; nobody else like me. And I’m a great me.” Cheezy? I know. Sometimes we have to be. 😉

“Many forms of self-sabotage have an underlying theme of fear, impatience, or perfectionism attached to them. Each of these character traits can be modified with positive self-talk, goal setting, and consistent, positive action.” Set a short-term goal. Take baby steps to reach it every day. Such as “walk for 10 minutes today, focusing on tightening my butt and pace my breathing,” or “journal for 10 minutes today, writing about every positive thing that happened around me and in me. What do I like about me?” Leave a comment and share your goal with us if you feel inspired. You might have a goal or set of actions that takes a little longer. A short-term goal is anything you want to happen anywhere within one day or 6 months time.

Sheri talks about who self-sabotages and why. I’m not going to go into the history of our lives talking about why our parents did what they did and why we have done to ourselves what we think we deserve or how badly we are treating ourselves and why. We need to understand this: What’s past is past. We cannot undo the past. We cannot change the past. We can only see ourselves now for what and who we truly are at this moment. We can change these upcoming moments in how we treat ourselves and see ourselves. Who are you? What kind of person are you? Who do you want to be? What kind of person do you want to be? These are the questions you need to focus on.Start talking yourself up as if you are great and deserve great things and do great things for others, then do it.Quit living in the past and get on with your life. Has blaming others really gotten you anywhere? No. Bitterness and being sour with your life and being unhappy is not what you truly want for yourself, so it’s time to make a few changes, starting now. You are an awesome person. I know it and maybe there’s a spark somewhere down deep inside you that says “maybe I can be an awesome person.”

So, quit living to please everyone else and find out who you really are and what you truly want. This is your life. (Thinking of the song, This Is Your Life, by Switchfoot. “This is your life. Are you who you want to be?”) No one else has the right to live your life except for you. That’s why God gave you this life – for YOU to live it. So, quit being a people pleaser, learn to say no once in a while and do something because YOU want to. Quit being afraid to rock the boat. Quit trying so hard to be socially acceptable or worry about making someone mad. Learn that money is a resource. It is a tool. We have to pay the bills with it. Do not go after it to make you happy. It won’t.

Stop feeling pressured to pay attention to what the media tells us is acceptable. The magazines, tv, movies and songs know nothing about who you are and what you want. Happiness is not about attaining a certain standard of beauty. That’s only skin deep. Our looks are going to fade with age. You should focus more on what’s on the inside – that’s who you are. Nothing’s wrong with wanting to look and feel better and live a healthier lifestyle, but do it for the right reasons.

“In our culture it has become commonplace to associate success with money, awards, and achievements. There’s rarely mention of happiness, being true to one’s self, or even being honest and moral in most definitions of success. Success in our society is generally seen as outward attainment.”

“This book is not about success for the sake of looking good or keeping up with the Joneses. It’s about inner success. It’s about following your heart, letting go of negativity that stands in your way, and allowing your innate talents and skills to shine. Sometimes as a result of acknowledging your true self, you will make more money, have more friends, find the mate of your dreams, and all that other good stuff. However, when outward success becomes your primary focus, there’s a tendency to move away from your true self.”

“If you were in charge of writing a dictionary definition of success, what would you include? Is it possible that you have been trying to live up to someone else’s definition of success? Writing your own definition can help empower you to live by your own standards. It’s also likely that using your own definition of success will alleviate some of your feelings of failure.”

What did you come up with for your definition of success?

All homework for today is underlined. 😉 Make it an awesome, positive, inspired Friday. You’ve got the powa! Ok, now I’m singin’ C&C Music Factory. I’ve got the power!

“It’s safer and easier to handle the negative self-talk than it is to challenge it, even though it intensifies feelings of fear, insecurity, and low self-esteem.” Change is uncomfortable, especially when it comes to our attitudes and behaviors. But with practice and action, I believe we can overcome the discomfort, or at least most of it, and allow ourselves to become familiar with our possibilities and positive outlook.

“Resistance is a normal part of change.” Dr. Susan Jeffers states five basic truths about fear, in her book Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway (scares me just to hear the title):

Fear will never go away as long as you continue to grow.

The only way to get rid of your fear of doing something is to go out and do it.

The only way to feel better about yourself is to go out and do it (don’t wait to feel better and then do something).

Not only are you going to experience fear every time you are in unfamiliar territory, so will everyone else.

Pushing through fear is less frightening than living with the bigger, underlying fear that comes from a feeling of helplessness.

Ok, so here’s what we gotta do:

Accept yourself exactly as you are right now.

Stop beating yourself up for sabotaging yourself.

Start believing you do deserve good things. You do. And I do, too.

Stop thinking you are no good. All of us, every single person on this earth, has some good in them. It is their choice to be good and do good, or vice versa.

Congratulate yourself on wanting to do something to rid yourself of self-sabotage. You may have purchased this book. That’s a huge step. If you are reading this post because you want to stop self-sabotage, that’s another step.

Put the self-critic away so that you can have an open and receptive mind to the ideas and concepts that follow.

From this moment on, we will not criticize ourselves. We will forgive ourselves for past mistakes, as we cannot undo the past, but we can certainly change the present and our future, starting now.

Quitting is the only way to fail. As long as you never give up, never give in, on what you want for your life, you will always be a success.

Sheri wrote this book from her own experiences, growing up in a dysfunctional home where sexual, physical, and emotional abuse were part of life. She and her family moved on a regular basis and she never formed a long-term friendship. They had very little money. In hopelessness and despair, she turned to drugs and drinking. Her powerlessness turned inward and she felt like a failure. By the time she was 17, she was shooting heroin on a daily basis.

Being loaded led to a variety of poor choices. She dropped out of high school and moved out at 16. She eventually became homeless, and at the age of 18, began attending twelve-step meetings. She finally got clean 3 years later, but not until she failed at two recovery programs and attempted suicide.

Quitting drugs helped her but didn’t solve her problems. The two main reasons she used drugs were to stay thin and avoid her painful feelings. Once she quit drugs, the feelings and the weight were back. She became a compulsive, out-of-control binge eater.

Staying clean reawakened her dreams and desires. She’d always wanted a college education, but her self-worth was so low, she doubted that she could ever succeed. The first semester of school seemed too easy. She liked the A’s she was getting, but didn’t feel she deserved them, so she started sabotaging her efforts, forcing her grades to spiral downward and causing her to fail classes.

She started to read books about self-sabotage and they only made her feel worse, as they pointed out the reasons people self-sabotage but the books never explained what to do about it, what actions or steps to take to improve.

She searched desperately for help and eventually tried a nondiet weight loss plan developed by Dr. Nancy Bonus. Nancy was the first person to tell Sheri that her beliefs were creating her reality, and that if she wanted to change the outside, she had to start with the inside. She started using positive affirmations to deal with her weight and body image issues and the results were spectacular. So, she started using affirmations in other areas of her life, as well.

She began facilitating workshops and then decided to write a book that would address overcoming self-sabotage.

“You can increase your level of self-esteem and learn to look at old situations in new, empowering ways.”

She says, “I still have a background of abuse, pain, and insecurity, but I’m not letting that hold me back anymore. I can’t change the past, but I can change today and tomorrow. You can, too. I hope to see you on the road to success.”

This book is filled with many techniques and worksheets that are user-friendly and are meant to be acted upon to improve your life. If you think you’d like to improve your life and stop sabotaging yourself, try this book on for size. If you want, let us know if it helps you. Let us know how it helps you.

Tomorrow: Chapter 1 – Sabotage Versus Success.

Yes, I’m back. I figured I could make time for my reading and blogging, along with my other ongoing creative project, so here I am, ready to work through this book. Won’t you join me? I look forward to hanging out with you.

I’ve updated my Rear In Gear page. Not a giant leap from where I was before. I’m a day late and a dollar short of posting from when I said I was. Sorry ’bout that. A little bummed about not shedding more weight over all this time. I am thankful, however, it’s not a gain, as it probably would be had I not been trying to eat less and exercise more. This losing weight thing is a bit harder than I thunk. 😉 Oh well. I’ll keep trying. I’m a stubborn chic. I want to feel good and look better and just feel comfy in my skin again. That day WILL come.

I’m trying a new diet supplement. Started today and it’s a 7 day trial, so I’ll update you with how well it works at the end of that 7 days, k? If it works like a charm, I’ll pass the name of it along to you. Take care, y’all! Love ya!

Oh, and I must apologize for not posting re the book study. I do plan on reading and posting about the book, “Reach Your True Potential – How to Overcome Self-Defeating Behavior.”

Truth is, I’ve been working on a creative project, since I’ve been laid off work since mid-February, although I didn’t start until recently and it’s coming together swimmingly! I might share it one day. 😉

If you want to check out my latest pics and weight loss specifics, just click above on “Rear in Gear,” to the right of “Home” and “About.”